Maricela

Maricela is a woman who lives in San Antonio de Coronado. She has been a client of the Fundación since 2007. When she got her first loan she used it to invest in equipment to set up a beauty salon in her own house. She did this because she wanted to stop working for other people, and she wanted to pay more attention to her son.

Three years ago she had another child, and one year later she became pregnant again. This time there were health complications, and she was not able to continue working.

Maricela now wishes to resume her business activity. Now her responsibility is even greater. The children are 11, 3, and 1 years old.

This time she is requesting a new loan to buy some materials that she needs to restart her business. She will buy things like treatments, hair coloring, and other products for manicures. Now she will also have assistance from her sister, María, who will help her take care of the youngest children. Also, she will have the chance to learn along with her sister.

This case is an example of the situations that women face where they count on the help and support of others. In this case, it is her sister and also her mother. Maricela will be able to get ahead like a woman who strives to be financially independent. She strives to do this without neglecting her responsibilities as a mother and a housewife.

Additional Information

More information about this loan

In Costa Rica, funding for microfinance institutions is hard to come by, and many institutions find themselves having difficulty growing and reaching all the demand for loans that exist. Kiva works with Fundacion Mujer because it attends a very marginalized population in Costa Rica, with a specific focus on women. In addition to the loan, Fundacion Mujer provides specialized training programs for their borrowers on everything from computer classes to salon training. Because of the difficulty in obtaining capital in Costa Rica, Fundacion Mujer cannot serve all the women that need loans. Therefore Kiva plays a unique role in helping Fundacion Mujer grow its portfolio and reach borrowers it otherwise would not be able to.